I'm not sure how to rate this book. It really did nothing for me, but it also was not bad. I picked this book up on a whim because I absolutely love poetry and find it (most of the time) very inspiring! The description also said that this book contained 'queering science', which was extremely intriguing to me. However, it all just seemed a little flat for me. It did not arouse any emotion within me, I could not connect with any of the poems, and in the end I was left a little confused.

I would like to mention that I read this from my Kindle app, so maybe the text was a little messed up or something, but the formation of the writing was super confusing. I had no idea where one poem started and the next stopped. I understand that this may be something only on the Kindle app, however if it is not I think the format of it all was pretty weird.

Now, why did I give this 3 starts and not rate it lower? Well, that's because this book was not for me but I know other people could absolutely love it! I feel bad rating poetry because it can be super confusing and not relatable to one person and really inspiring and enjoyable to another. This was just one book I could not connect with, but that was not the authors fault at all, which is why I gave this 3 stars and not a lower rating.

I liked the first and the third parts. When the author says that she wants "to be the poem, not the poet" I understood her so much! I thought it was a beautiful way of expressing the feeling. I felt mesmerized with the poetic language and the rhythm!

I also liked the fragments from the blackmail letters. That is a way of subverting violence and bigotry, and the type of poetic experiment that I love. to encounter. It is also playful, from my point of view, and adds levity and a smile to experiences that may be grusome. It must have required an excellent editor to re-create the whole experience, so kudos to the publishing house, Tolsun Publishing, for taking the time and effort to present it so well in this book.

At some point the authors speaks about losing a job and being happy about it. That's another experience I can also identify with., I liked how she mixes her personal experiences -those she wants to mention- with the poetic feelings and the social criticism..

She also mentions a historical fact which took palce in the Appalachians' Trail. I had already heard about it because, (what a coincidence!), I finished reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods two weeks ago and he mentions this very same event. I liked the reference to this ourtrageous event. It was sheer luck that I knew what it was about so I didn't have to google it up! I liked the way she treats the matter as well. A cold case whose file has never been properly closed and that now it has sadly become part of the history of their (the poet and the victims') country, the USA.

Where the book lost me is in the non-sensical un-readable words. If the poet wanted to express the breakdown in human communication, congratulations, she's succeeded! The only thing I can say about it is that I felt that the "asdfsdfa" was based on the words sad and fast, which created a sad emotion on me..I may be mistaken and it is not based on those words at all, but I didn't understand it and I didn't like it at all.. James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake lost me on page one, and Sarah M. Sala has lost me in this part.

I will recommend it. The positive points outdo the negative for sure. There is a part in the middle that I didn't like.but the rest was the type of meaningful, expressive free verse that I usually like. Congrats to the poet!

https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/15955780

An journey of abstract thoughts about science, sexuality and painful memories..

At first, Devil's Lake may appear as an intimidating book to the poetry uninitiated. With multiple variants of poems and one style morphing into the next, the poetry at first can seem hard to follow, especially given the tendency for one poem to merge into another on the same page with only the title above it to at times tell the reader it's time to move on. This may cause difficulties for some and confusion for others (myself included on initial reading.

However, this is a book which deserves to be kept with, its poems slowly read and reread and digested. Because, under the initial confusion are many splendid poems, capturing the joy and heartbreak of sexuality and love, the curiosity of science, nature and the world around and above us. Harrowing and unforgiving poems about school shootings and the tragic case of two women murdered in their tent.

In my opinion, due to the above, this would not be a recommended first step for people completely new to poetry due to the layout and some of the more abstract themes within the poems. However for people with more experience or with an appetite for something more to their poems, this is a worthwhile read.

This book is recommended for more experienced poetry lovers with an interest in poems about sexuality, science and the shocking horrors in our world or new poetry lovers who want exposure to more advanced poetry..

Content warnings: discussions on racism and school shootings, murder, homophobia, animal abuse

(Review originally posted on Net Gallery as feedback on the ARC available in 2020. Also posted to my Goodreads page [https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/116195675-kaizenkhaos])

An insanely good collection of poetry addressing several current social issues, most prominently those difficulties that face the LGBTQIA community. Such a moving collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. Poetry is highly subjective, and this book just isn't for me. However, that isn't a slight against the book. I wish the author all the best and hope for her success.